Ypulse Youth Website Profile: K!dult
Posted by meredith on 04-21-2010
The other week in Essentials we announced the launch of K!dult, a new teen-targeted site from Pharrell Williams that coincides with the announcement of an upcoming conference in NYC.
Best known for producing hits with the likes of Justin Timberlake or his own group N.E.R.D., we were curious to check out the site, co-founded with Latina Magazine Editor-In-Chief Mimi Valdes, for ourselves…
What it is… According to the "About" page, "Kidult is a news and entertainment website for teens created by Pharrell Williams. Inspired by his young fans, he believed they deserved a website that respected their intelligence and covered their diverse interests—from science to fashion. It's the site Pharrell wishes he had when he was a teenager." Translation: "Diverse interests" is right. In its short posts, interviews and videos the site covers a wide range of topics including current events, politics, science, the environment, technology, health, sports, gaming, fashion and entertainment. It also features personal blog entries from real teens and topical polls for visitors to vote on.
Who it's for… Teens and young adults with an interest in staying informed on any of the above issues without suffering through a "teen filter" that dumbs the conversation down.
What works… The strongest component of the site by far is the Interview section, particularly the "Cool Job" feature, which documents hip professionals in different industries. I love the idea of teens getting the inside scoop on careers that would naturally seem awesome, like creative executive at Warner Bros., and those that might never have otherwise crossed their mind like Arts Administrator for nonprofit Repertorio Español. Of course, the standard entertainment interviews with big "gets" like CW stars and singers are fun, too, but the exposure to practical advice and inspiration from real people (and a diverse group at that!) was what caught my eye as having the most real potential value. Out of the many, many topics covered on the site, the "Fashion" posts seemed the most consistently read-able.
Challenges… About that readability… while I can definitely appreciate the overall effort to address teen readers like adults, the content ends up coming off a little dry here. I'd love to see more distinct personality infused into the informative posts, more spark in the lighter posts and more of attempts to directly engage with the readers in both. After all, just as important as creating an online space intended to "speak directly to teens" is allowing them to speak directly back. That means more than just opening up comments and placing polls in the side bar. It means asking poignant questions, putting forth debates, basically providing any real opportunities for teens to demonstrate "their intelligence" and opinions on all those diverse interests the site covers.
That said, with such a long list of topics and no real signature tone for the voice of the site (are you there, Pharrell?), the space honestly comes off feeling a little undefined as a destination. I'm not sure if the solution lies in highlighting the channels in a different way or narrowing the focus down to a select few (either way, I say put more of a spotlight on those Cool Jobs), but right now I think visitors risk leaving the site with no distinct impression of what they can expect to find there. If Pharrell and his team could only channel some of the energy that's earned him a reputation as a creative genius and a fashion icon, we'd be getting somewhere.
Also, just a side note: does the name "K!dult" sound like a euphemism for "tween" to anyone else, or is that just me?
Categorized under: Movies & Music, Web